Mobile devices, cloud computing, virtualization, oh my. Despite what you've read, technology/business articles do NOT have to be dry and dull. I know how to jazz 'em up. I'm a freelance writer and editor with over 20 years of experience specializing in how various technologies can make businesses more competitive. I've also reviewed restaurants and have written extensively about education and human interest topics. I write features, case studies, white papers, profiles and breaking news stories.

Former editor-in-chief of online technology magazine Datamation; also a senior writer at eWeek (formerly PC Week) for several years and a staff writer for community newspapers including The Malden Evening News and Allston-Brighton Citizen Item; also a stringer for The Associated Press.

Computer Skills

Word, HTML, Excel, PowerPoint

Equipment

I have a fully equipped home office and a laptop computer for remote assignments.

Awards

1994 Recipient of Distinguished Journalist Award from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for coverage of mental health issues.

Other

former instructor, introduction to Journalism, Boston University and Brookline (MA) Adult Education

Freelancer Availability

I freelance full-time. I live near Boston, MA. I am willing to travel regionally. I have a driver's license. I have access to a car.

Security breaches are becoming almost regular news. With ongoing high-profile revelations about the likes of Home Depot and JPMorgan Chase having millions of customers' data hacked, such events are losing their capacity to shock. Until, that is, it happens to your business.

Security has typically fallen under the purview of IT, but it's time to elevate it to a C-suite level discussion. Seemingly every time we turn around there's something in the news or on social media about high-profile breaches.

As more companies recognize the need to break down the walls that divide software developers and IT operations, recruiting DevOps skills has become more critical, and DevOps recruiting has become more difficult.

Colleges and universities typically use the free version of Google Analytics to track how people interact with their websites, including where visitors are coming in from and the pages they're visiting,. but not enough schools are taking the time to glean critical information from that data.

If you're a managed services provider who wants to deliver managed email, chances are you'll be looking for a partner. Seventy-one percent of managed service providers (MSPs) currently offer one or more forms of email hosting and another 14% are planning to do so, according to Techaisle.

The nascent field of network virtualization has yet to take off for most managed services providers (MSPs), but some observers say the maturation of VMware network virtualization software could boost the market's prospects.

Project management is a position many people segue into from other jobs within IT, such as business analyst, systems analyst or software developer, as opposed to being hired for the job at the outset of their careers, industry observers say.

Colleges and universities miss a significant opportunity to capture the attention of their primary web audience-teens and young adults-when their websites aren't designed to perform well on mobile devices.

Python, an open source scripting language, has become the most popular introductory teaching language at top U.S. universities, according to a recent survey by Philip Guo, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Rochester.

Much has been written about the promise of artificial intelligence (AI), which has made something of a comeback as business analytics began to take off. Now, a number of startups have cropped up to work on an AI algorithm technique known as deep learning.

As organizations look to modernize their IT infrastructure, data center choices are expanding. Cloud, colocation, modular, outsourcing, virtualization and more efficient servers are all vying for your attention, and figuring out the right direction is fraught with challenges, to say the least.

Electronics manufacturers are notorious for poor working conditions in overseas factories, but some have made strides toward being more socially and environmentally responsible, according to a new report.

For many men, shopping with their wives is akin to having someone scratch their nails across a chalkboard. Now there are apps that help compute whether online purchases are an appropriate fit and they are a win-win for consumers and retailers alike.

Compared with the Windows XP transition, the migration from Server 2003 may be more laborious and complicated for solution providers. Adding to the challenges, customers' attitudes remain mixed -- despite Microsoft's looming deadline.

There's no escaping it: from retail to health care to utilities to transportation -- the number of connected devices is increasing every day and has the potential to transform and revolutionize how many industries work.

CMOs face an uncertain future. Reasons why include the blurring lines of responsibility across functional groups and a fever-pitch pressure on marketing to demonstrate ROI, according to Lisa Nirell, chief energy officer of EnergizeGrowth, a Washington, D.C.-based marketing consulting firm.

Getting ready for mobile really boils down to one thing - taking some sort of action and not letting fear or uncertainty overwhelm you. Yet many organizations aren't doing much and meanwhile, employees are increasingly using mobile devices to do their work. It's up to the CIO to step up to the plate

The criteria for what makes for a great vendor aren't what they used to be. As partners refocus their businesses on enablement and offering services, they evaluate vendors for responsiveness, channel strategy and more.

As college and university professors continue to move from the traditional lecture format to a facilitated learning model, officials are rethinking the classroom setup. Students collaborate at tables while instructors move freely through the room. The lecturer's desk is no longer the focal point.

iKeg, from SteadyServ, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) inventory and order management system is one of the latest entries on the market tapping into the Internet of Things (IoT) phenomenon in the beer industry.

IoT opportunities exist for partners, but according to experts, taking the first step into the IoT space requires channel firms to embrace cloud computing, new partnerships, and IoT protocol. Some companies have already found success.

Marketers use the most cloud apps in an organization, yet 98 percent of their apps are not "enterprise-ready" and put data at risk, according to a new report on app usage trends by cloud security company Netskope.

It's no longer wise -- or safe -- for IT to stay entrenched in the old approach of merely deploying and maintaining a company's hardware and software. Technology has taken center stage in helping to transform a business and enhance its competitive edge.

Drones are on more people's radars lately-so to speak-and that got Babson College MBA candidate Abby Speicher and her business partners thinking about a possible opportunity: providing training to public safety departments related to these unmanned aerial vehicles.

For a 19-year-old-kid who just flew a small plane around the world - setting a record in the process - MIT student Matt Guthmiller seemed to have mixed emotions that his extraordinary six-week journey had come to an end.

With companies operating 24x7 and employees increasingly working from mobile devices, the pressure on IT staff to stay in touch even when they are on vacation is becoming almost an unspoken requirement.

IT shops that want to use the cloud as the compute platform for some or all of their applications must first migrate those applications to the cloud. That task is easier said than done, and many companies are turning to channel partners for help.

Boston's three public safety agencies are expecting to see significant improvements in response time and more efficient communications, thanks to the city's new computer-aided 911 dispatch system deployed earlier this month.

Zoe Youl has taken multitasking to a new level. The 24-year-old registered nurse is working toward a postgraduate certificate in intensive care, while at the same time keeping up with her required 20 hours a year of continuing professional development (CPD).

Solutions providers have traditionally marketed their businesses by promoting the vendors they specialize in. But as more companies find themselves increasingly turning to cloud services, providers are responding by seeking vendor products they can white label as their own.

More and more businesses have their heads in the cloud lately, so it only makes sense that partners do too. But managed cloud services is different from managing on-premises systems, and some partners are finding themselves having to make adjustments.

Most college students take a breather at the end of the school year, maybe travel, see a part of the world. But Matt Guthmiller, a 19-year-old freshman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, plans to see the entire world this summer - from the cockpit of a small single-engine plane.

Matt Guthmiller, a 19-year-old freshman at MIT, is combining his passion for computer science with his love of flying by taking a 28,000-mile solo flight around the world later this month. If he succeeds, he will become the youngest person ever to circumnavigate the globe on a solo flight.

Augmented reality (AR), a technology that superimposes computer-generated images on top of real-world views, is gaining traction as a useful training tool across a wide variety of employee roles, particularly where simulation, training, and skills development are needed.

While many marketers still track conversions based on the last click, almost 54 percent of them are interested in implementing a different methodology, according to a just-released survey by Impact Radius of 146 high-ranking CMOs and company principals.

While channel conflict is nothing new, a 2013 study by industry group CompTIA found that six out of 10 channel companies said conflicts had increased in the previous two years, with 21% saying conflicts had risen significantly. Another 8% said they experienced no conflicts at all.

IT channel industry workers in a variety of job roles are, by and large, satisfied with their salaries and careers. They're a highly compensated group, making on average more than three times the U.S. per-capita average and 21% more than the average IT manager at their IT organization customers.

Watchwith has built a cloud-based platform that lets TV networks and other content providers power interactivity through apps to further engage consumers while they watch shows, movies and commercials.

Mobile platforms such as smartphones and tablets are convenient for workers who want to connect to their corporate network outside the office. However, this near-constant connectivity limits the control IT departments have over what employees do.

Burgers and technology are terms that usually aren't synonymous, but when The Habit restaurant chain wanted to ensure consistency in the quality of its food as well as enhance the customer experience, it was a tasty pairing.

Just when you thought it was safe to assume the economy was looking fairly positive, a 2014 IT salary survey by Janco Associates and eJobDescription.com debunks that theory, with a less than rosy picture of the IT job market.

Electronics recycling (e-cycling) has come a long way since the 1990s, with far less hardware being tossed into landfills, or exported in containers to Third World nations where toxic components can pollute soil, groundwater, and (if burned, as often happens) the air.

Seeing his mother struggling to complete a task while online banking one day gave Eyal Cohen an idea. Why not create pop-up balloons that would provide step-by-step-instructions? With that, WalkMe was born.

To gauge the ability of professional graphic designers to do basic programming, Brian Dorn, then a graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), asked a group of them to read and modify a piece of program code.

As a newly minted Microsoft managed partner in the southeastern United States, IT solution provider eGroup is starting a new chapter in its relationship with the company. That relationship can be very valuable for Microsoft channel partners, but it takes work and requires a progressive approach.

Marketers will have a laser focus on small and midsize businesses (SMBs) this year, with 70 percent of respondents in a newly released survey by the CMO Council saying the market is extremely important to their businesses.

The role of a vendor's channel account managers, or partner account managers, is to manage the relationship with channel partners, including growing revenue and negotiating contracts. Yet sometimes those relationships don't work as smoothly as they should.

Dell recently rolled out a program that will allow U.S. customers to trade back eligible equipment they have purchased from the company - as well as from IBM, Microsoft, HP, Sun Microsystems and Cisco - in exchange for a fair-market-value rebate toward the purchase of new hardware.

As organizations start to tackle big data issues and their computing needs increase, the demand for supercomputing capabilities is growing. Many of today's applications need much more computing capacity than in the past, in order to analyze and mine greater amounts of data.

The fundamental friction between sales and marketing is alive and well: A new study of senior marketing executives by the CMO Council issued marketing failing grades in a number of areas related to customer information systems.

As boomers move toward retirement their financial needs will be shifting. Older clients are changing their focus from asset accumulation to asset protection, and local banks are learning that they need to grow customer relationships and third-party partnerships.

Virtual desktop infrastructure is not just for low-resolution desktops any more. VDI also delivers high-resolution, multi-monitor 3D desktops that are well suited for a variety of applications, while remaining a cost-effective solution.

Card-linked marketing (CLM), in which consumers receive targeted advertising through their online and mobile bank statements and cash-back offers based on purchase history, is a "suitable replacement" for traditional marketing strategies, according to a newly released survey by Cardlytics.

You know the saying that everything is for sale if the price is right, and managed service provider and VAR businesses are no exception. But there is much to take into consideration when learning how to sell a small business in the VAR and MSP space.

Mobile is gaining momentum as the next go-to channel for marketing campaigns, with 80 percent of smartphone users indicating they are very receptive to receiving location-based text messages from marketers.

The integration of two formidable trends in IT - social and mobile - is driving workplace collaboration and improvements to the technology that enables it, bringing the modern enterprise into the digital age.

The state of the economy ranked as the main challenge solution providers are facing, according to a recent SearchITChannel survey, but channel companies that are reinventing their businesses are finding they are able to differentiate themselves and experience growth.

An increase in the number of remote and branch offices is a sign of positive growth for companies. From an IT management perspective, however, it can be a huge challenge, especially when it comes to ensuring limited downtime.

The issue of how to keep computers cool generally calls to mind the techniques used in enterprise data centers; that is where energy has traditionally been concentrated, so to speak. Yet, improved cooling from the inside out is crucial to reducing the carbon footprint of computers.

Watching television has been a social activity since its inception. Now add to that the enormous popularity of consumer social networks, along with the rapidly growing use of mobile devices--smartphones, tablets, and ultrabooks--and the convergence of all channels appears inevitable.

Which apps are making money? It's no secret app revenues vary across mobile platforms, but there are factors that determine how much money an app makes. Here are some tips, along with a look at who the top-grossing developers are.

Mobile connected devices are the most sought after gifts this holiday season but when it comes time for out with the old, in with the new, BYOD workers need to deal with the data still sitting on discarded devices.

With the launch of the iPad Mini this week and overall tablet sales expected to skyrocket in 2012, industry observers say the time has never been more ripe to consider purchasing insurance for your devices.

It's no secret that people love the thrill of a contest. Whether it's scoring double rewards points for purchasing NFL-licensed apparel at Sports Authority, or being entered into a trip sweepstakes for liking the neighborhood grocery store on Facebook, game-based offers are seemingly everywhere cons

With BYOD initiatives firmly under their belts, enterprises are shifting their approach and are now focusing on using mobile apps more strategically to increase revenue, reduce costs, and gain a competitive advantage.

The head of marketing for one of the world's largest point-of-sale systems providers said he doesn't believe near field communications (NFC) will gain significant traction in the near term and will be just one payment option for consumers.

Depending on who you ask, anywhere from under 10% percent up to 23% of businesses have mobile device-friendly websites. At the same time, right now 10% of all Web traffic originates from mobile devices - and one thing's certain: That figure is only going to grow.

Some 20.5 million new jobs will be added to the U.S. economy by 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in health care, construction, education
and computer and information technology. More high schools are recognizing the need to start training students in these fields early.

Anyone who creates software for mobile devices has to weigh the time and resources available to support multiple platforms. Recent research shows that the Apple iOS devices are still garnering more attention â€“ and development time â€“ than Android or other alternatives. But it depends which survey

Security software provider Sophos has introduced an enhanced version of its Mobile Control product, which it says provides improved risk mitigation features, including the ability for IT to remotely wipe a corporate device if an employee leaves a company or does not comply with its security policies

As if it weren't enough of a challenge dealing with the BYOD phenomenon on top of corporate-issued smartphones in the enterprise, now mobile device management (MDM) plans need to be re-examined as iOS and Android are being widely embraced--while Blackberry use is on the decline.

Reaction has been lukewarm to the news that Apple has removed its 39 laptops and notebook entries from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), a voluntary registry promoting greener electronics, of which it is a founding member.

The U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) have awarded a $21.4 million contract to security software firm Invincea, Inc., to secure Android-based smartphones and tablets for the military.

For users who want to retain the touch and feel of a traditional keyboard on their touchscreen device, Tactus Technology has unveiled a tactile layer component that creates dynamic physical buttons that rise out of the surface of the screen

Biomedical information comes at health professionals in petabytes. The CDC is working on responding to potential terrorist attacks and natural disasters using Big Data and electronic health records to focus on bio-surveillance and disease outbreak prevention.

Conventional wisdom says that, due to its smaller market share, the Mac OS X is far less susceptible to security threats than its operating system counterparts. But times are changing, along with Apple's market share.

Shopping apps like Catalog Spree and Google Catalogs are changing the way consumers view and use traditional product catalogs. But while the apps promise spiffy features, convenience, and even eco-friendliness, industry observers say the experience is neither perfect nor has it reached critical mass

Mobile payments at the point-of-sale are not quite ready for prime time, but they are coming. It is time to watch the area of near-field communications to evaluate how it will affect your business and your own shopping habits.

The phenomenon of bringing your own device to work will this year move beyond the initial phase of workflow and personal productivity functions toward using apps that enable a variety of business initiatives

As each day passes, consumer mobile devices become more ubiquitous in the workplace. It is getting easier to use them at the office, too, as new apps for smartphones and tablets enable communications, business processes, and workflow. But with workers continuing to blur the lines between what data i

Just as thin clients move computing power from a laptop into cloud-based servers, robots also no longer need to carry around information or handle processing-intensive tasks such as vision recognition internally, which means they can be built lighter and at less cost.

IBM created a lot of buzz when its Watson computer debuted on the game show Jeopardy! The episode demonstrated the notion that a computer could challenge humans by understanding natural language and answering questions on a variety of topics.

Some phishing attempts are truly ethereal: near flawless representations of official communications. Others, however, are mere mortals. And then there's the absolutely absurd. A look at the pantheon of scammer emails

There has been a plethora of news stories about teachers and educators who have found their jobs compromised because of what they blog about or misleading information that shows up about them on the web.

Software requirements can’t be too vague, but they can’t be so detailed that nobody can read them, either. The people charged with gathering and documenting software requirements may have the best of intentions. But more often than not, the final product is either lacking in detail or way over the t

Typically, developing a software application for beta testing can take months, even with newer agile development methods. But application visualization can be done within a matter of hours to give users some insight into what that system will look like and how it will work.

Advances in communication technologies have not only created greater opportunities to reach new markets and suppliers, but also a workplace that is becoming virtual, with team members located around the world.

The presidential candidates may disagree about Iraq, health care and taxes, but their campaigns demonstrate a clear consensus that the rise of Web 2.0 tools offers the chance to engage interested citizens, one market niche, one voter, one message at a time.

Any way you look at it, 2003 was a real bad year for network security. Although corporate concern over cyber threats jumped dramatically, so too did the number of cyber attacks against companies and their machines.